William Kentridge – Sleeper – Black, 1997

William Kentridge
Sleeper – Black (1997)
Etching, aquatint and drypoint on paper / 97 x 193 cm
CCAC #0128

Donated by Linda Givon, Goodman Gallery Johannesburg and the artist in 1998

The struggle by many white South Africans to face up to the exploitation and abuse of Africa and its people is explored. Sleeping, in Kentridge's work, is a metaphor for a state of ignorance, a return to the imaginary, which conveniently allows the external world to be forgotten. However, the sleeper must always wake up.